Career pathways of three social care sectors Essay

Describe the roles, responsibilities and career pathways of three health or social care sectors Within this assignment I will be discussing three different health or social care professionals and describing their roles are and also their responsibilities. Social worker A social worker’s role is to help people with their issues and also their families, in order to help to adjust to the problems that are occurring throughout their lives. They most frequently work with those problems such as, child abuse, substance, abuse, mental illness, anti-social behaviour and many more. A social worker would specialise in a certain area and help a person with that certain situation. However, some people’s issues may be unchangeable therefore they help others to adjust to the situation and help them in order to accept that certain situations may not be able to be changed. Social workers usually work with the government in departments such as offices, clinics, prisons, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, businesses and many more. Being a social worker has numerous responsibilities entailed with the job which comes with helping others such as, preparing interviews with the service users and their families which enables them all to evaluate the situation , offering support through counselling, or group therapy to the service user and their family, ensure that the support offered enables the service user to lead their life as well as possible. Although a vital role within social work is to ensure the safety, security and well-being and caring for the service users and their families it also involves numerous responsibilities that are a legal requirement within social work such as, giving evidence when necessary in court for the person they are working with, writing accurate records of what has occurred and preparing reports for special meetings (this may possibly be court too), writing up assessments about the situation that meet the stated standards and is on a timescale, communicating with other agencies such as hospitals, schools etc. to ensure that they understand what is going on at home and to ensure their safety. In order to follow the career path of being a social worker it is vital to have studied for 2 years at college or Sixth Form whilst gaining qualifications from them also. After this it is important to go to University in order to maintain a degree, the current qualification to study at University in order to maintain a career in social work is an honours  degree in Social Work, however it is possible to also go into other degrees such as sociology, youth work or anything relatable and train to be a social worker afterwards. This is a popular approach for many people as it is relatively hard for those of a young age to get into a degree level of Social Work. Midwifery The role of a Midwife is to support, care and advise women, their partners and family, at every stage of childbirth; before, during and afterwards as they help women decide what care they would like throughout childbirth, the services they will use and any other important decisions that need to be made. For the first 28 days of a child’s birth they help by taking care of the new born child and provide health education and support the parent through this emotional, difficult and overwhelming period they do this with regular health visits to the new mother and new born child. The main responsibility for a midwife is to ensure that the mother and the new born child’s health is on top form which ensures their safety and security by caring for them, they do this by keeping to the hospitals health and safety policy furthermore, they have numerous responsibilities to adhere by in order to ensure this of their patients. During pregnancy they must diagnose, monitor and examine the woman which ensures that nothing has or is going to go wrong within the pregnancy and if there is something found it can be treated fast and efficiently in the appropriate manner. This means that they must identify high risk pregnancies through this such as, ectopic pregnancies so that doctors and medical professions can be informed and the mother can be assessed and treated. During the pregnancy they must also develop an assessment, which evaluates the pregnancy too for an individual which has relation to care so that the mother knows what care they want and they can choose from this. Also, they must do this for their partners and families as they provide health education for the woman whether it is at the hospital, community or at home so that everyone can help the mother out. As pregnancy can be one of the most dangerous things to do in a woman’s life many of them may be scared to do so and find the thought of labour intimidating, therefore it is a midwife’s responsibility to provide cancelling before and after the birth, especially after if they have suffered throughout it as they need to be ‘debriefed.’ They also supervise  the mother throughout labour assigning her and monitoring her condition through their knowledge of drugs and pain killers. After the pregnancy is vital as the mother needs to be given support from the midwife and daily care of the baby, which includes breast feeding, bathing and making up feeds – especially for first time mothers who aren’t familiar with child baring. In order to become a midwife you can either apply to a degree of nursing and on the third year branch off to midwifery or study a three year degree course in Midwifery. It is important that sufficient work experience or anything similar as midwifery is highly specialised and demanding job. They ask for 3 A Levels of the equivalent to this such as BTEC National Diploma. There are other courses that can get you into the career path of midwifery such as a midwifery access course. There are different entry requirements at each university’s however, every university asks for GCSE’s in Maths and English at C and above. The minimum salary that midwife would begin to work for is  £21,000 and they would make their way up throughout their career. Probation officer The role of a probation officer is to work with offenders and ex-offenders who have emotional, behavioural and psychological issues which make the probation officers job highly stressful and demanding. However, the result of helping a person overcome these difficulties is highly rewarding for the probation officer. There are numerous responsibilities that are with the job which are vital as they must provide advice and information in order to support the criminal with the court sentencing related to this is the write and presentation of their pre-sentence and pre-release reports which enables them to help the with their sentence and parole as well. Another main responsibility of a probation officer is be emotionally supportive to the offenders that they are working with meaning that they must help the offender deal with the fact that they are having custodial sentences which may be jail or perhaps on house arrest depending on the crime committed. This also means that they must visit the offender no matter where they are whether it is at the home, in court, prison, hostels or other institutions that they may be detained in. Although it is solely about the offender it is also important to liaise with the family in order to ensure that their needs are met throughout this overwhelming time as it will be highly emotional for  them. It is a vital responsibility for probation officers to liaise with those such as the police, social service and anyone else involved with the case to make sure that they are knowledgeable of how the offender is getting on and is sticking to the agreements. This is an extremely stressful job and also highly demanding, also being extremely controversial as they are working with offenders. In order to go into the probation services it is important to have a degree in anything similar such as community justice or social work where you would then apply to the probabtion services as a probation officer. After having that job it is vital that you take a vocational qualification level 5 diploma in probation practice to ensure that you are suited for the job, therefore it is then possible that gain a specialised area or move onto a managerial position. Probation officers have a salary of around  £19,000 –  £26,000 for a year and the after qualified they earn around  £26,000 –  £35,000 a year.

Performance Art Essay

Performance art is an essentially contested concept: any single definition of it implies the recognition of rival uses. As concepts like â€Å"democracy† or â€Å"art†, it implies productive disagreement with itself. [1] The meaning of the term in the narrower sense is related to postmodernist traditions in Western culture. From about the mid-1960s into the 1970s, often derived from concepts of visual art, with respect to Antonin Artaud, Dada, the Situationists, Fluxus, Installation art, and Conceptual Art, performance art tended to be defined as an antithesis to theatre, challenging orthodox art forms and cultural norms. The ideal had been an ephemeral and authentic experience for performer and audience in an event that could not be repeated, captured or purchased. [2] The in this time widely discussed difference, how concepts of visual arts and concepts of performing arts are utilized, can determine the meanings of a performance art presentation (compare Performance: A Critical Introduction by Marvin Carlson, P. 103,2-105,1). Performance art is a term usually reserved to refer to a conceptual art which conveys a content-based meaning in a more drama-related sense, rather than being simple performance for its own sake for entertainment purposes. It largely refers to a performance presented to an audience, but which does not seek to present a conventional theatrical play or a formal linear narrative, or which alternately does not seek to depict a set of fictitious characters in formal scripted interactions. It therefore can include action or spoken word as a communication between the artist and audience, or even ignore expectations of an audience, rather than following a script written beforehand. Some kinds of performance art nevertheless can be close to performing arts. Such performance may utilize a script or create a fictitious dramatic setting, but still constitute performance art in that it does not seek to follow the usual dramatic norm of creating a fictitious setting with a linear script which follows conventional real-world dynamics; rather, it would intentionally seek to satirize or to transcend the usual real-world dynamics which are used in conventional theatrical plays. Performance artists often challenge the audience to think in new and unconventional ways, break conventions of traditional arts, and break down conventional ideas about â€Å"what art is†. As long as the performer does not become a player who repeats a role, performance art can include satirical elements (compare Blue Man Group); utilize robots and machines as performers, as in pieces of the Survival Research Laboratories; involve ritualised elements (e. . Shaun Caton); or borrow elements of any performing arts such as dance, music, and circus. Some artists, e. g. the Viennese Actionists and neo-Dadaists, prefer to use the terms â€Å"live art†, â€Å"action art†, â€Å"actions†, â€Å"intervention† (see art intervention) or â€Å"manoeuvre† to describe their performing activities. As genres of performance art appear body art, fluxus-performance, happening, action poetry, and intermedia.

Character of Touchstone in Shakespeares As You Like It Shakespeare As You Like It Essays

The Character of   Touchstone in As You Like It    As You Like It features, like so many of Shakespeare's plays, a professional clown, Touchstone, and it's worth paying some attention to his role for what it contributes towards establishing and maintaining the upbeat comic spirit of the play. For the jester is the constant commentator on what is going on. His humour, pointed or otherwise, thus inevitably contributes to the audience's awareness of what is happening, and the way in which other characters treat him is often a key indicator of their sensibilities. Touchstone is one of the gentlest and happiest clowns in all of Shakespeare. He comments on the action, makes jokes at other people's expense, and offers ironic insights about their situation. But throughout As You Like It, such traditional roles of the fool are offered and taken with a generosity of spirit so that his remarks never shake the firm comic energies of the play. When he ridicules Orlando's verses, Rosalind laughs along with him. When he points out to Corin (in 3.2) that the shepherd must be damned for never having lived at court, Corin takes it as good natured jesting (which it is). When Touchstone takes Audrey away from her rural swain, William, there are apparently no hard feelings (although much here depends on the staging). In this play, the professional jester participates in and contributes to a style of social interaction which is unqualified by any more sober and serious reflections. This makes Touchstone very different from the bitter fool of King Le ar or from the most complex fool of all, the sad Feste of Twelfth Night , both of whom offer comments that cast either a shrewd, melancholy, or bitter irony on the proceedings.    Touchstone himself becomes the target of much humour by his immediate attraction to Audrey, the "foul" country lass. There is something richly comic here, seeing the staunch apologist for the sophisticated life of the court fall so quickly to his animal lust. But the satire here is very good humoured. Touchstone himself acknowledges the frailty of his vows and does not attempt to deceive anyone about his intentions.

English 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

English 101 - Essay Example This provided her both with few playmates and multiple teachers, so that she learned to read, write and compute mathematics early and without apparent effort. However, she credits the youngest of her older brothers for the life-giving lessons of how to sit a wild horse on a wild ride in the middle of a battlefield. â€Å"Sometimes, in later yeas, when I found myself suddenly on a strange horse in a trooper’s saddle, flying for life or liberty in front of pursuit, I blessed the baby lessons of the wild gallops among the beautiful colts† (Barton, 1907: 20). After a relatively common childhood for her time period, marked by particular attention to her education thanks to the influence of brothers and sisters, Clara’s first brush with the field of nursing came as she was helping her brother, David Barton, recover from a fall that had him incapacitated for approximately 2 years (Barton, 1907: 79-88). From this experience, the young girl began moving ever closer to the nursing profession. Following the Battle of Bull Run near the beginning of the Civil War, Barton began her work as a nurse, organizing the collection and distribution of necessary medical supplies and gaining permission to ride behind the lines and in the mobile ambulance wagons to provide medical assistance to wounded soldiers on the field. Her tireless efforts earned her the nickname of ‘Angel of the Battlefield’ and she was eventually appointed the superintendent of nurses in 1861. By 1869, though, she was taking her skills to Europe to help in the Franco-Prussian War. It was in Switzerland that she first learned of the European organization already in existence there called the Red Cross. Although an attempt had already been made to establish a branch in the United States well before Barton went to Europe, this was her first time to hear of it and she spent the rest of her time in Europe learning more about it. When

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 76

No topic - Essay Example The ideological difference between the Asian drama and the western drama shows a perfectly structured media system in terms of respect for the culture and citizenship as a whole. This research paper explains concepts necessary for understanding of media of globalization and citizenship. Korean Wave (and Korea Herald articles): Korean wave as a global concept plays a very vital role in the understanding of the media of globalization. This is because as a media personality, comparing and contrasting the various views regarding Korean wave as international concept. Significance of the Korean wave additionally brings in the notion of globalization culturally in inter-Asian cultural studies (p.50). Per se, understanding of media of globalization and citizenship requires outstandingly unique and worldly accepted concepts. The Korean Wave presents such uniquely required concepts especially in looking at this cultural media of globalization and citizenship. Korean wave concept liberally presents the concepts of racial proximity, cultural proximity and their limitations. This implies that media of globalization and citizenship is a conglomerate mass media concept which should be an important part of

Nigel Slacks transformation process model Essay

Nigel Slacks transformation process model - Essay Example However, this was only the first Dimension of the whole project. In fact, a second Dimension follows in which should answer the following question: what the relevant technology could offer to the transformation of resources in the particular firm. More specifically, the business process technology would improve the firm’s resources mainly offering a framework for the increase of their productivity. If such a target could not be achieved by the above procedure then the firm should avoid the transformation of its processes by first instance. On the other hand, the value of the business process technology for the completion of the business transformation process would be examined thoroughly before the implementation of the relevant technology. Finally, the role of business process technology in the whole procession would be evaluated in terms of its importance for the achievement of the targets set by the firm attempting the transformation of its processes.The effectiveness of th e relevant procedure was examined by Slack et al. (2005) with a specific reference to five firms: a fashion clothing retailer, a retail bank, a full-service airline industry, a food company and a company operating in the area of laboratory services. Their research led to the following results: a) the market performance opportunities associated with BPT (business process technology) are far broader than the traditional narrow focus on cost reduction; as a result, any evaluation of BPT must reflect its impact.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing ROI (Release Research Paper

What are the advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing ROI (Release of Information) - Research Paper Example This calls for a need to outsource the ROI activity so that things can be accomplished with minimal fuss. The potential advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing the ROI are as follows: According to an estimate, Hospital Information Management (HIM) departments need to retain at least three workers on full-time basis and accommodate their pays, monthly privileges and educational expenses in the budget in order to adequately administer the ROI process. (Fournier, Coffey, and Bellenghi, 2008, p. 22). Outsourcing the responsibility for the ROI offers the owners’ room to minimize the expenses by saving the money that would have otherwise been consumed in purchasing the insurance, facilities and monthly privileges for the permanent HIM employees. Also, money spent on educating the employees through additional training is saved. Not only that, outsourcing the ROI services can be employed as a fundamental means to transfer the risks and all liabilities to the contractor accepting the responsibility. In addition to that, applications and requests are entertained timely with minimal inconvenience to the applicants as well as the staff. Furthermore, the information is released with increased responsibility and remaining within the limitations imposed by the owners which goes in favor of the owners. Although usually outsourcing ROI bears more advantages than disadvantages, yet the disadvantages can be very severe once encountered. It is an established fact that no other company would take the responsibility as seriously as the owners themselves fundamentally because the contracting companies are concerned with their fee, and the owners’ reputation does not matter much to the irresponsible contractors. However, disadvantages are not commonly encountered unless the contracting company tends to maximize its profits by selling the owner’s secret reports and statistics to the spying agencies.

Dance Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dance Critique - Essay Example They exhibited a high degree of professionalism and this could clearly be seen in the techniques used by them. On the technical side, the design and lighting of stage was quite apt and set the right mood for the show. The costumes of the dancers complemented each other with the main duo wearing a color that contrasted well with the color worn by the rest of the group. The title of the piece is the introduction to the ‘Allegro Brillante’ which opens with a brief meeting of the two main dancers in a stylistic entry. The stage seemed a bit small and restricted but the dancers did not seem to show it. The rest of the dance was an interweaving of the whole group, alternating between the girls and the boys and finally ends with a flourish as they dance gracefully with their partners with nimble footwork. All the dancers exuded high energy as they flitted, jumped, twirled or tiptoed with nimble and graceful steps. The music too was very apt and effective as it had the same energy exhibited by the performers. The costumes suited the high energy on stage and were not only modest but lent itself to the flow of music and dance. The dancers were well trained and this could be clearly seen in the techniques used by them which looked graceful and appealing. The aesthetic ability of all the performers was brought out through their facial expressions that portrayed the emotions embedded in the piece. The background of the stage was a dull blue with a single dull spotlight that was flashed on the center of the backdrop. The stage area was well lit with soft white lights that accentuated the costumes and movements of the dancers. The second piece I choose to critique in the ‘Allegro Brillante’ is the solo performance by Maria Tallchief. The choreographing for this piece was highly technical with a lot of twists and twirls by the dancer whose body language was so graceful as it was ethereal. The dancer had enough space to move around with great flourish and was not

Citi Group Financial Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Citi Group Financial - Research Proposal Example A leader continuously inspires quality relationships with others in the organization and, as much as possible, conforms to the expectations of corporate policy as a pinnacle of ethics and integrity. At Citigroup, there are several individuals with leadership qualities who have performed excellence in financial services and, simply by being rewarded for their performance, they achieved leadership status by inspiring others to act similarly in the business environment. In groups, a leader is often the task coordinator and acts as a mediator in various discussions between diverse group members. This view of the leadership role suggests a person who is equipped to handle multiple responsibilities and ensure that all members of the project team are focused and positive. Rather than delegating their individual tasks, the leader simply acts as the catalyst for social order and positive discussion. Citigroup regularly appoints leaders to different financial groups, generally selecting those who continuously provide excellence in communication and customer service. In most organizations, a manager is an individual who is responsible for coordinating the efforts of various subordinate staff members to ensure they are performing their unique job functions. A manager is concerned with issues of scheduling, performing administrative tasks such as giving performance reviews to workers, and job task assignment. These are the more foundational aspects of management which suggests that the managerial role is simply one of coordination and authority. At Citigroup, there are many managers with a centralized command hierarchy where instructions are delivered from the top-down and compliance is expected. Managers are constantly scrutinizing employees work habits to ensure they are performing to the task at hand. This does not require much of a leadership

Expectations about own work role Essay Example for Free

Expectations about own work role Essay It is important to understand the expectations, including codes of practise, regulations, minimum standards or national occupational standards. Some expectations are: see more:explain expectations about own work role as expressed in relevant standards ââ€"  reflect on their work ââ€"  record their qualifications ââ€"  understand what effective practise looks like ââ€"  formulate their self ­development plan ââ€"  allow managers to understand staff experience/qualifications and training needs to support the development of the setting. It is also expected as a practitioner to keep every child safe and secure in the environment as they learn and develop. It is very important to complete risk assessments daily for the safety of the children. Making sure the nursery is clean will help prevent the spread of illnesses and infections in the provision. Childcare providers must also have procedures for administering medication and supporting children with medical needs or who appear unwell during the day.

The British Foreign Policy

The British Foreign Policy This essay aims to establish the role the Prime Minister plays in setting, shaping and implementing foreign policy in the UK by exploring decision-making patterns by former Prime Ministers in the related field, as well as current governments choices and aspirations on the international arena, and the contribution of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other bodies. As Paul Williams (2004: 911) noted that foreign policy is not made in a political vacuum it is paramount to take into consideration Britain`s national interest in international relations and the countrys position in the existing paradigm of world politics. First, it will define what foreign policy is and why it takes a special place in policy making. Foreign policy will be analysed against following factors: globalisation, public opinion and national interest. Also, it will summarize the key models of the Foreign Policy Analysis (Allison 1971) and question their effectiveness and drawbacks. Second, the essay will refer to case studies on the subject to bring empirical data into analysis. The case studies include the Europeanization of the foreign policy in the UK, the US-UK intervention in Iraq in terms of the ethical foreign policy. They will help to access the role played by foreign policy makers. Given the length of this essay it will not comment in detail on the influence of NGOs, British ambassadors abroad and the economy; however, they are undeniable parts of foreign policy-making process. Finally, the essay will discuss a possible course of action for the UK to take in order to achieve a successful foreign policy and bring back the power to British decision-makers. What could be done to overcome common thinking of foreign policy being about getting our way in an unhelpful world (Cradock 1997: 99-100). What foreign policy is? Definition, context, goals In the modern world it is impossible to imagine a country without a well-defined set of rules of behaviour towards its geopolitical neighbours and economic partners. The question remains, however, as to what extent foreign policy represents interests of leaders, political parties and general public of a particular country. Collective coping with the international environment is, indeed, a useful shorthand definition of foreign policy according to Christopher Hill (2003: 9) but this definition leaves infinite variants of interpretation of what collective is and who plays the leading role in doing so the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, a collaboration of both, official agents interpreting and implementing policies or influence of powerful countries that Britain has close relationship with? In order to understand who conducts the British foreign policy it is essential to outline the policy goals first. William Hague, the current Foreign Secretary, in his speech on the 1st of July, 2010 promises to deliver a distinctive British foreign policy that extends our global reach and influence, that is agile and energetic in a networked world, that uses diplomacy to secure our prosperity, that builds up significantly strengthened bilateral relations for Britain, that harnesses the appeal of our culture and heritage to promote our values, and that sets out to make the most of the abundant opportunities of the 21st century systematically and for the long-term. So for the first time in years in my view Britain will have a foreign policy that is clear, focused and effective. His statement highlights the fact that UK foreign policy is not pursuing one goal; on the contrary, it seeks to accomplish multiple aims: to extend Britain global influence, to secure prosperity, to promote values through culture, etc. Successfully achieving them means achieving each part separately which involves resources and actors in different areas. As a result some policies might overlap and even contradict one another (Williams 2004: 913) and it is worthwhile looking at specific parts of the policy rather than a whole. Foreign policy has been characterised by being overly secretive and elitist which makes it more complicated to trace the decision-making process. Foreign policy takes a special place in the whole policy-making field as it is closely linked with politics. It should not come as a surprise since it deals with sensitive issues like intelligence services and diplomacy, which seldom become available to general public, for obvious reasons: the information might fall into the wrong hands and undermine the objectives set by the policy. Nevertheless, it is possible to comprehend in which direction foreign policy is headed based on the past decisions made by politicians and the impact they made at the time. This direction a state chooses to follow depends greatly on the personality of a leader, current administration and economic situation a state finds itself in. Foreign policy is conducted in complex internal and international environments; it results from coalitions of active actors and grou ps situated both inside and outside state boundaries; it involves bargaining and compromise affecting the interests of both domestic and international groups (Neak cited in Carlsnaes 2008). Foreign Policy Analysis To analyse foreign policy scientifically Graham Allison (1971) in his work Essence of Decision comes up with three models of decision-making related to foreign affairs (known as Foreign Policy Analysis) trying to explain the reasons and causes behind states decisions in a crisis. The first model, Rational Actor Model (RAM), assumes that a single actor (state) makes decisions upon a calculation of possible outcomes, thus decisions are rational reactions to a particular situation. It can be said that state chooses a course of action in line with its national interest trying to avoid losses and maximize benefits. The second model, Organizational Process Behaviour (OPB), is characterised by decision made by multiple organisations that look back at previous precedent and act accordingly. Thus it tries to bring down the importance of central control in decisions. The final model, Bureaucratic Politics, is summarized by Allisons own words where you sit determines where you stand, meaning t hat governmental organizations normally have a preferred way of dealing with an international crisis. These models were used by the scholar to apply different lenses to explain the origins of the Cuban Missile Crisis and establish how and why the USA and the USSR came to the choices they made during the conflict. Allison admits that these three models are not capable of encompassing all possible variants, his study became a milestone in FPA as it attempted to present social science capable of achieving clear and objective explanations of social and political actions. Stein (2008) develops the idea of rational-decision making further: in order for a policy maker to make a rational choice, he/she needs to value how reliable the information is, and whether it comes from a trustworthy source. Moreover, any new information that might turn up has to be evaluated against diagnostic evidence that takes into consideration the consequences the policy maker is considering. Who is in charge? On paper it is the Foreign Secretary who conducts foreign policy in the UK although it hasnt always been the case. The Prime Minister retains the power to declare war and deploy military troops, making the fragile equilibrium of power shift. Tony Blair has shown that depending on who is leading the country, the style of policy-making changes dramatically. During New Labour the most important decisions on foreign policy were not taken at the FCO but in the Cabinet. His leadership earned the name interventiolalist as Britain took part in several military operations: Barras in Sierra Leone, Desert Fox in Iraq amongst others. It is the Prime Ministers decision whether to send troops into combat or not and Blair chose to consult not the cabinet as a whole but rather small ad hoc committees of advisers. Anthony Sheldon (2004: 692) named these groups denocracy as their meetings took place in Blairs office, the den. Such exclusiveness promotes confusion as a small circle of trusted ministers and advisors gives an impression that the policy as a whole is reactive rather than proactive. It is worthwhile mentioning that the UK is a parliamentary monarchy and the Queen is the official ruler in the UK. Although her power is mostly of a ceremonial nature, nevertheless, she plays an important role in representing the country at various levels: the UK, the Commonwealth and internationally. In her speech to the Parliament on the 9th of May 2012 the Queen set the following agenda: to strengthen oversight of the security and intelligence agencies, to seek approval of Parliament on the anticipated accession of Croatia to the EU, to support a secure and stable Afghanistan, to reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation in Iran and to build strategic partnerships with the emerging powers. These goals show that the Queen is far from being above politics, on the contrary, she is greatly concerned with Britains position in the fast developing world and foreign policy is one of her concerns. Factors influencing the British foreign policy: American influence The UK boasts to have a special relationship with the USA in terms of foreign policy. British foreign policy has privileged the idea of working closely with the United States, particularly in the area of international security, where the UK has provided the largest and most effective non-US contingent to three American-led conflicts in recent years twice in Iraq and once in Afghanistan (Wallace and Phillips, 2009: 267). The two countries have been allies for a long period of time and acted accordingly. Britain considers its international relations with the USA to be as important as its ties with Europe, if not more. However, in the light of Britain losing its imperial power long ago and the hegemonic rise of the US, arguably, Britain plays along with the American directives. This was the case in all interventions where the USA took part in the last 60 years except the conflict in the Falklands. It appears that Britain is torn among its own interests, the EU integration and Anglo-American ties (Atlanticism). Blair decided to strengthen the countrys position by addressing these three issues at once. The USA will benefit from a special relationship with the UK when making decisions in Europe and vice versa. This special relationship (Wallace and Philips 2009: 267-274) includes defence cooperation, military nuclear cooperation, provision of bases to the United States and intelligence relationship. But does Britain get out as much as the USA in this relationship? The answer to this question remains unclear: On issues as varied as the Kyoto Treaty, the Ottawa Treaty banning landmines, the war in Kosovo, the attack on Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process, the Iraq war and subsequent occupation, or the holding of British captives at Guantà ¡namo Bay, there has been little evidence of the UKs ability to shape US policy. Indeed, British governments, in clinging to the idea of the special relationship, have generally overlooked the fact that the US has several privileged relationships, notably with Mexico, Israel, Australia, Italy and Poland. (Wallace 2009: 65) While Brits assume that Americans hold certain sentiment towards shared past and noble goals, the USA might be pursuing its own national interest instead. Riddell (2003) argues that America is not disposed to sacrifice national interest on the altar of nostalgia or sentiment and shows scant regard for those who do. It shows that no matter who the USA considers to be its allies, it is going to pursue its own national interest and foreign policy. Tony Blair was not the first Prime Minister who chose to play a bigger role in foreign-policy making. Margaret Thatcher in her role as the Prime Minister had her own very specific view on how to conduct foreign policy. Her initiative to take part in the military conflict in the Falklands wasnt supported by the USA at first which didnt stop her. She had very distinctive views about Anglo-European relationship as well and the FCO was often excluded from the decision-making process. She blamed the FCO for being pro-European and considered creating a separate body to counteract the FCOs dominance in foreign policy-making. The UK and the EU: the FCO adapting to Europeanization While Anglo-American relations occupy an important place in Britains foreign policy there is another undeniable partner that has become more and more relevant in the recent years the European Union. British policy-makers have traditionally accorded a higher priority to transatlantic security relations than to relations with their European partners. This is despite having enjoyed arguably more success in shaping the actions of the EU than in influencing key decisions in Washington. In recent years, and on crucial issues such as defence, energy and environmental policy, Tony Blair played a crucial role in shaping the EU agenda. (Wall cited in Menon, 2010) After Britain joined the EU (EEC) in 1973 it became apparent that the country needs to integrate into the EU and to do so it had to adapt and reform its foreign policy. The FCO anticipated the changes both with suspicion and high hopes for a stronger Europe. Inevitably the line between domestic and foreign has become thinner and thinner as the EU touched upon an array of issues. Since the creation of the EU has influenced its member states so greatly it is argued that they became Europeanized. Bulmer and Burch (1998: 602) define Europeanization as the extent to which EC/EU requirements and policies have affected the determination of member states policy agendas and goals. Arguably the FCO lost part of its power to the EU in terms of policy-making towards Europe. The FCO wanted to retain its power as a sole determinant of Britains national interest. David Allen (2008: 3) points out that the FCOs position within British central government has been both enhanced and challenged by European integration. At the same time David Milliband (2009) emphasizes how important albeit difficult the integration is we can lead a strong European foreign policy or lost in hubris, nostalgia or xenophobia watch our influence in the world wane. Structurally, a Permanent Under-Secretary (PUS) remains as the top role of the FCO. PUS coordinates the FCOs work overseas and its administration. Another key role is held by Political Director, who makes sure that Britains interests are represented at European Political Cooperation (EPS), which is now effectively the top policy advisory post. Allen (2008) explains how these posts work as a tandem: The specific position of Political Director can be explained in terms of Europeanization in that the FCO willingly adapted its management structure so as to effectively participate in the EPC. This adaptation has led to spillover whereby the Political Director now plays a larger role than perhaps originally intended. However, the different roles played by the PUS and Political Director are the result of both EU membership and other factors, especially the need for improved management within the FCO. Britain remains being euro-sceptic towards further integration in the EU, it repeatedly criticises the current weakness of the economy in Europe and is not satisfied with being a member of the three major states (along with Germany and France) that have to help out weaker countries sometimes at their own expense. However, in the era of globalisation further integration is inevitable and the UK is more Europeanized than it thinks is. At a general level British foreign policy has undoubtedly been affected by a process of Europeanization, although the extent to which this has impacted upon actual policy will vary from issue to issue. In particular, British policy has been Europeanized at an ideological level, in regard to foreign policy-making, and in relation to the agenda and content of policy. However, the process of Europeanization has not entirely subsumed a distinctly British foreign policy. In this sense, successive British governments have been quite successful at using the European level of foreign policy to achieve its own objectives and simultaneously prevent unnecessary levels of integration. (Williams, 2002) Paradoxically, the EU shouldnt have foreign policy in the first place as it is not a sovereign state. Because of Maastricht Treaty 1993 the EU member states are committed to a common European and Security policy (CFSP) which enables them to pursue their own national interests but at the same time to coordinate them on the European level. This can be achieved with the help of the European Community, the CFSP and Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) which are responsible for different policy issues such as external economic relations, political and security question, international crime and terrorism respectively. Sometimes events on a global scale are capable to change foreign policy almost overnight. The 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York transformed British, European and American foreign policy and only after three days, on the 14th of September, the EU passed a declaration on European arrest warrants and measures to combat terrorism. This brings another foreign-policy dilemma the ethical dimension. As Tone Blair declared to bring human rights at the very heart of foreign-policy it remains unclear which ethics British foreign policy should pursue. The war on terror had best intentions in its core; nevertheless, Britain has to draw a line on its use of power to do so. Blair followed the doctrine of liberal interventionism, promoting liberal beliefs and sometimes imposing it on the countries with contrasting views: Afghanistan, East Timor, Iraq, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. If democracy and the rule of law are imposed in a non-negotiable way it becomes unethical as a result. Cases such as Iraq invasion in 2003 bring to attention this delicate matter in foreign policy. There was no direct threat to either US or UK sovereignty, the public polls disapproved of the intervention, yet both countries favoured the invasion. The workings of the EU institutional system mean that the coalition government may also struggle to exert the influence it desires. Britain already suffers from its exclusion from and lack of clear engagement with a key consultative forum the Eurogroup (comprising those member states that have adopted the euro). This structural weakness is only heightened by the absence of the Conservative Party from the European Peoples Party, whose members include the German Chancellor, the French President and the President of the European Commission. David Cameron will not be able to attend their pre-summit meetings, at which they coordinate negotiating positions. In other ways too, Conservative suspicions of European integration may limit the ability of the UK to achieve all that it could within the framework of the Union. What is more, to be reliable and effective foreign policy must attract domestic legitimacy, which means involving the public in the same kind of continuous dialogue as takes place over tax or transport policy. If we can accept the centrality of foreign policy in our political life without seeing it as a way of merely exporting our own superiority, we shall stand a better chance of, first, coping collectively with outsiders; second, making a contribution to a more stable and civilized international system; and third, avoiding the kind of catastrophic mistakes which cost hundreds of millions of individuals their lives in the last century, the century of progress. Public opinion and media shaping foreign policy Public opinion is another important lens of foreign-policy making. As we live in a world where communication has become instantaneous powered by digital media both politicians and policy-makers try to use it to their advantage. According to Robinson (2008) there exist two models capable of analyzing the impact of public opinion and media on a policy. The pluralist model suggests that the media and publics are independent of political influence and, as such, can act as a powerful constraint upon governments. The elite model, on the contrary, assumes that media act merely as mouthpieces for government officials, operating to mobilize publics in support of respective policies. The case of the polls on the Iraq War in the UK showed that although the majority disagreed with Tony Blairs decision to engage in the conflict, they did not stop the Prime Minister from changing his course of action. The consequences of this decision resulted in Blair not being re-elected, as the media coverage r evealed more details about the rising number of casualties in the war. Bias of the media should also be put under scrutiny the newspapers in the UK (as well as the rest of the world) often cater to different political parties promoting a certain agenda and delivering a policy chosen by that party to the public. Thus, it is extremely difficult to account for the influence of the media due to the fact that public opinion might not be partial having been shaped by the media. Foreign policy is always the product of a society, a polity, interpreting its situation and choosing who chooses is another matter to act or react in a particular, unpredetermined way. Conclusion In conclusion there is not a definite answer to who conducts the British foreign policy. Different Prime Ministers showed a ranging level of involvement into foreign policy-making process. Factors such as Europeanization, the US-UK alliance, public opinion and economic crisis make it more difficult to understand to what extent one person or several people (the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary along with advisors) can follow through with the propositions set at the beginning of a governments term. The process of foreign-policy making involves civil servants, ministers and officials of all spectrums as well as independent advisors, experts from the UK and worldwide. While most significant decisions are made by the Prime Minister, he makes his choice based on the data and evidence he has been given. Finally, it is not enough to simply formulate foreign policy, the major stages of the policy-making process fall onto the shoulders of civil servants who interprete, implement and pr esent the policy. Moreover, there are multiple foreign policies in the UK which demand different approaches. If the UK wants to remain its international power that has been in decline after the fall of the Empire and maintain the foreign policy that is coherent at all stages of the policy-making process, it needs to find balance between pursuing its national interest, skilfully presenting and implementing the policy at the domestic and the international levels and managing the members involved in the process. Britain faces not a menu of alternative routes to far-reaching international influence, but a choice between imperfect options (Cradock 1997). UK needs to go through the three-step process identified by Christopher Layne (cited in Menon, 2010) determining the countrys vital interests, identifying threats to these and deciding how best to deploy national resources in order to protect them.

The British Writers Voice in Middletons The Lie of the Land :: Language Culture British Papers

The British Writer's Voice in Middleton's The Lie of the Land As I read Hayden Middleton's The Lie of the Land, I became increasingly aware that I was not only hearing the writer's voice coming through, but that it was a distinctly British writer's voice. There were words and phrases that marked the text as being decidedly not American. Yet, as I became accustomed to the writer's voice, I became less and less conscious of the dialect and simply involved with the story. In reading the story a second time, this time paying special attention to these variances, I was surprised at how many differences there actually were. What follows is a list of the words and phrases I found, on which page of The Lie of the Land I first found them (or, in some cases, where I finally decided that they were a result of a British writer's voice rather than just the writer's voice), and what I believed would be an acceptable "American" choice. Where indicated, these "American translations" were confirmed in the book Understanding British English: Bridging the Gap Bet ween the English Language and Its American Counterpart, by Margaret E. Moore (quoted definitions are as found in this resource). In cases where I wasn't sure of the meaning and no "translation" was provided in Moore's book, I consulted Webster's Dictionary. Sometimes I had to guess (these are marked with question marks on either side of the "translation"). A few times I couldn't even give a fair guess: these I left as question marks. At times I also found it difficult to determine whether the choices were due to the author being British, or whether they were simply choices that may have been made regardless of the author's nationality. At those times I was guided by instinct. PAGE British Word/Phrase American Word/Phrase Confirmed? 5 tap faucet yes

Comparing Symbolism in Poe :: essays research papers

Comparing the Symbolism of the Houses in the Red Death and House of Usher   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most stories have occurrences of symbolism. Symbols are used everyday in many different ways. For instance, the Bald Eagle is used to symbolize the determination and nobility of our United States of America. In both the Masque of the Red Death and the Fall of the House of Usher, the symbolic nature of the House plays an imperative role.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The House in the Red Death was a very elaborate and colorful establishment. Each room inside of this enormous house is decorated in a different hue. The easternmost room is decorated in blue, with blue stained-glass windows. The next room is purple with the same color stained-glass windows, then green, then orange, then white, then violet. The seventh room is black, with red windows. Accompanying this last room is a giant wooden clock. Every hour on the hour the clock emits a deafening gong, which puts an immediate halt to any ongoing activities. The fact that the rooms go from east to west is supposed to symbolize life on earth. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Our life cycle also follows that pattern. If you look at a typical twenty-four hour day, the day is â€Å"born† in the east and â€Å"dies† in the west. Along with the rooms following an east to west pattern, the color schemes in the rooms also follow this pattern. The first rooms go from blue, which represents the beginning of the day, or life, to purple, green, orange and finally the white room represents noontime. Next comes violet followed by the last room, which is black with red windows symbolizing the end of the day, or the end of life. The whole purpose of these rooms being decorated in the first place is due to the fact that Prince Prospero has decided to throw a ball for all the rich people in the nearby village, which is being plagued by a fatal disease known as the Red Death. All the rich folk run away to the mansion in hopes of eluding the Red Death. In the meantime at the ball, everyone is having a great time. It seems as though they are almost disregarding the fact that there is a plague going on. They almost have the mentality that as long as they hide out in the mansion, they will be immune to the Red Death.

Comparing the Families in Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Az

Comparing the Families in Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Hoban’s The Mouse and His Child Creating â€Å"worlds of their own, with particular kinds of boundaries separating them from the larger world†, families ideally provide encouragement and protection for each of their members (Handel, xxiv). In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, however, the Dursleys and Aunt Marge fail to fulfill their roles as Harry’s primary caregivers. In Russell Hoban’s The Mouse and His Child, the father mouse is unable to give his child all that he needs and longs for. In these two children’s stories, the expectation that families will provide physical support, emotional support, and encouragement for their children is not met. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the orphaned Harry is physically neglected by his only living relatives, the Dursleys. Harry’s Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and cousin Dudley think that by endorsing Harry’s non-existence in their lives, their fear of non-Muggles would disappear. Treating Harry like a wild animal, the frightened Dursleys physically confine Harry to their home and do not allowing their nephew any contact with the outside world. When Harry finally runs away from the Dursleys, he panics because his family never gives him Muggle money. While forcing Harry to stay indoors, the Dursleys also encourage Harry â€Å"to stay out of their way, which Harry [is] only too happy to do† (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, 24). Shunning communication and distancing themselves physically from Harry, the Dursleys fail at being the loving family that Harry needs and craves. By giving Harry little to eat and old clothes to wear, the Dursleys contin ue to treat Harry as n... ...ting and abusing him. In The Mouse and His Child, the father mouse is fond of his little son, but he is inept at keeping his family of two stable. Being a passive and pessimistic parent, the father mouse, like Harry’s aunt and uncle, fail at providing the mouse child with physical support, emotional support, and moral encouragement. Although they are family, the Dursleys and the mouse father provide a dysfunctional setting for Harry and for the mouse child, forcing their children to grow up painfully faster. Works Cited Handel, G. Introduction to the first edition, 1967. In The Psychosocial Interior of the Family. Ed. G. Handel and G.G. Whitchurch. New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1994. xxiii-xxx. Hoban, Russell. The Mouse and His Child. New York: Harper & Row, 1967. Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Vancouver: Raincoast Books, 2000.

Business Strategy As The Direction For Organisations Business Essay

Scheme is the way and range of an administration over a long term. Strategy is a better manner of using the resources of the concern, run intoing the demands of the market, carry throughing the demands of the interest holders taking the concern in an effectual and profitable manner. Strategy is a long term program of action which is designed to accomplish a peculiar end or set of ends. It will be best described as a direction program in order to accomplish the coveted ends. Business scheme is a long term attack to implement the programs for concern in order to accomplish the concern aim. It is concerned more with how a concern competes successfully in a peculiar market.How scheme can be constructed and carried out efficaciously, even by little concern: –Nowadays harmonizing to many companies many little concern houses face the world of planetary competition. Harmonizing to many companies reconstituting themselves helps them to confront competition in the universe markets. After carry oning organisational reappraisals over 100 concern associations and with the experience 18 old ages in the undertaking direction, i realise all the organisations attempts to implement their operations efficaciously. Harmonizing to a survey in 2004 ( little concern disposal ) 580900 little concern little houses opened in 2005 576200 stopping point, SBA states that 67 % of the new companies were able to last for at least 2 old ages, staying 44 % of the companies surviv e for at least 4 old ages.Four of import factors for competitory advantages: –1. Vision 2. Basic accomplishments 3. Strategy believing 4. Conjuction with staffVision: –It is an of import factor for a company to go on it on the path. Harmonizing to the analysis made by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, writers of the leading challange, on more than 60000 caputs of the organisation, they stated that the leaders who are effectual should animate a shared vision. A leader has to back up a clear vision in his leading of the organisation. Now yearss many of the directors are busy with the present jobs and missing clip for edifice of vision. This makes both employees and organisation to be left unfastened, with a shared vision little concerns gain a competitory advantage. Harmonizing to critics vision is the critical factor to keep success for little concerns. Vision is referred as sing the national resources in to the physical bounds. A leader who is effectual for a little concern should animate his squad with a vision which is familiar to carry through their demands.Core competences: –Basic accomplishments of t he director should be clarified with workers altering yesteryear. In the average clip of restructuring, and organisation as to keep it core mission. Large companies calculating the market which will be quickly spread outing, which makes their employees confuse because the contradictions and uncertainnesss. Companies which attempts to make things that are beyond their organisational capacity, which makes them to confront the failure. Many companies which are seeking to vie with planetary competition are losing their basic accomplishments in the market. Harmonizing to Ck prahlad, writer of viing for the hereafter states that directors do non finish their undertakings to vie with rapid market alterations. He states that reconstituting initiative his defines as a dead terminal, reengineering removes unneeded work and better the advantage of procedures as it is defines as the social ends like client satisfaction or entire quality directed enterprise.Strategic Thinking: –Employees wanted their leaders to be important in the market and competition which is valid in the industry. The tremendous alteration which is demographic the twenty-first century U.S work force has created the person concern which made the organisation non to alter their paradigms. Companies which are the best think strategically and work in dual. Watts Wacker, Jim Taylor, Howard Means, writer of airy ushers as warned that we are in go forthing in epoch where the single ability enforce their ain hereafter. Many of the companies pursue planning, where as few organisations are suitably busy with the strategic thought. It is defined as a competitory betterment for little concerns in the market. Strategic thought is defined as a careful planning in an organisation. The two chief constituents of the strategic thought were cognition of the present and point of view for the hereafter. This is called as dichotomy by the organisational schemes. Duality is followed by many of the successful companies on a regular basis. Most of the little concerns are clients of today or tomorrow sing for the hereafter effects. Features of a strategic thought which is effectual chiefly focus on keeping an attack which is long standing to appreciate the effects which are flexible. Strategic planning and vision works together, as a appropriate planning of the bases and the causes for determining the path of an organisation.Associating to employee: –The importance of associating with a culturally diverse work force can be understood by the organisational leaders who are effectual. On many occasions phrase of new engineering concerns were devalued by workers in the procedures. Follows of the mechanical parts for accomplishing the organisational aims should be sing by the leaders.Jeeffrey pfeffer writer of the human equation accepts that success of an organisation depends upon straight to the execution. Currently emergent of work force crosses the gender age race and geographics. For the firs t clip in the American history employees must cover with 4 coevalss of work. The leading manner which can be effectual for freshly upcoming employees fails with the employee coevals X.In little concern house ‘s leader who is effectual as to keep good relationship with his employers.Future waies: –Ignoring world-wide imperativeness and front line competitions little concern houses can accomplish success with the right approach.21st century offers the challenges for the human resources such as practical organisations, outsourcing and fiscal restraints of budgets in many federal bureaus. Small concern houses have 5 of import cardinal factors such as vision ends, strategic thought, basic accomplishments and linking with employees. Such jobs can be utilised as an chance for little houses to increase the rate of success. These methods are logical, practical procedure provide for the creative activity, growing and guarantee a successful little concern. Different types of positions theoretical accounts and attacks or utilised in the strategic planning. Way of developing a strategic program chiefly depends on the nature of the organisation leading, size of the organisation, civilization of the organisations, complexness of the organisation environment, expertness of contrivers etc. There are different types of strategic planning theoretical accounts which includes ends based, issues based, organic, scenario etc. The most common of the strategic planning modal is goals base planning. It chiefly focus on the vision of the organisations, schemes to accomplish the ends to work towards the machine. Issues based strategic be aftering theoretical account chiefly examines the issues which are faced by the organisation, schemes to mention those issues and action programs. Organic strategic planning starts by jointing the vision and values of the organisations and so the needed programs to make the vision while keeping to those values. Some co ntrivers chiefly prefer a peculiar attack to be aftering for illustration appreciative question. Some programs are design to one twelvemonth some to three old ages some to five to ten old ages in the hereafter. But many of the programs include merely top degree information but no action programs are available where as some programs are 5 to 8 pages long. Strategic be aftering procedure his agenda depending upon the nature of the organisation, demands of the organisations and so its external environments. Strategic planning should be followed often in an organisation. Planing might be carried out one time or twice country in a comprehensive and elaborate manner. If the organisation has been established for many old ages and has a stable place in the market topographic point so be aftering can be carried out one time a twelvemonth.Following usher lines are considered strategic planning 1. Strategic planning should be done in the initial phase of organisation when it is started. 2. Strategic planning should besides be done when developing a new division, section are presenting a major new merchandise. 3. Action programs should be updated every twelvemonth 4. Advancement of the execution of a strategic program should be supervised on a quarterly footing by the board. There are different procedures served by the strategic planning in an organisation. Purpose of the organisation should be clearly defined to set up ends and aims in a define clip frame within the capacity of the organisation for implementing. Those ends and aims are pass oning to the components of the organisation and sense of honor ship over the program has been developed.Resources of the organisation are efficaciously use by concentrating on the cardinal precedences. Advancement can be measured and mechanism is established to inform the alteration when needed. There are many other grounds which include the strategic planning helping and organisations. Strategic be aftering provides clear focal point of organisation and helps in bettering its efficiency and effectivity it besides bridges staff and board of managers increasing productiveness from addition efficiency and effectivity. It besides helps in work outing major jobs.The value of utilizing cardinal analytical tools to assist in the strategy-making procedure: –Many tools are included in the scheme doing procedure. Many analytical tools are developed to help the organisation with the planning processes, nonprofitable organisational these tools modifying the inquiries and standards with their ain particular services and markets.Environmental scan: –It is performed to garner informations to happen out replies inquiries about the present and future territory ‘s common perceptual experience is developed and it identifies strengths, failings tendencies and conditions. En vironmental scans is a key for ongoing procedure for internal and external honestness and openness to altering status. There are many attacks to environmental scanning which includes service, inquirers, focal point groups and unfastened forums.SWOT analysis: –SWOT analysis is another tool used for scheme procedure. It is one of the strategic planning methods which is used to measure strengths, weeknesses, chances and menaces which are involved in a undertaking. SWOT analysis chiefly indicates the nonsubjective if a concern venture are a undertaking which helps in placing the internal and external factors which are favorable and which are non favorable to accomplish that aim. A SWOT analysis starts with a specifying a terminal province or objective it may be included in to the strategic planning theoretical account. Strengths: – Feature of a individual or a company which helps in accomplishing the aim. Failings: – Feature of the individual or a company which are harmful to accomplish the aim. Opportunities: – External conditions which are helpful to carry throughing the aim. Menaces: – External conditions which may do harm to the aim. Identifying SWOT ‘s is indispensable is of import because alternate stairss in the procedure of be aftering to accomplish the selected aim can be derived from the SWOT ‘s. Main purpose of any SWOT analysis is categorising the of import internal and external factors which play a cardinal function in finishing the aim. SWOT analysis is a aggregation of of import information is classified into two chief classs. Internal factors: – Internal strengths and failings of the organisation. External factors: – Opportunities and menaces which are subjected to the external environment organisation. Strengths and failings can be considered as the internal factors of the organisations depending on their force on the organisation aim. When strength is considered with regard to an nonsubjective it may go failings another aim. External factors may include macroeconomic affairs, technological alterations and societal cultural alterations including alterations in the market and competitory place. SWOT analysis is one of the methods of distinction with its ain failings. Importance of the single SWOTs will be exposed by the value scheme generates.Undertaking 2As per the instance survey, MIB is a little graduated table concern which proved to be successful when it was started. Cynthia had started her concern on the strength of a individual inspiration as mentioned. She stated that she did non get down her concern with a long term program. Her vision was non strong plenty. Even though in 2001, gross revenues had exceeded $ 2.3 million, which was an addition of 12 per centum, the gross rev enues were non the same in recent times. Cynthia was really much concerned about the fiscal figures. She stated that she would be interested in following new methods of gross revenues by taking the thoughts and concerns of other people in the company. Cynthia had long been the exclusive drive force behind MIB. In the 1980s, there were few makers of ace size vesture. Cynthia was really good cognizant about the defeat of big adult females whose picks were limited.She believed fat people, and particularly adult females, were oppressed and made suffering by a society that treated them as lazy. MIB offered a full line of vesture and accoutrements in four chief classs ; calling wear, insouciant athletic wear, formal wear and overclothes. Cynthia had long been the exclusive drive force behind MIB. In the 1980s, there were few makers of ace size vesture. Cynthia was really good cognizant about the defeat of big adult females whose picks were limited.She believed fat people, and particularly adult females, were oppressed and made suffering by a society that treated them as lazy. MIB offered a full line of vesture and accoutrements in four chief classs ; calling wear, insouciant athletic wear, formal wear and overclothes. The vision of MIB began on a trip up the California seashore. Cynthia stopped in a little used vesture shop and discovered a choice of drawstring army excess workss, which were 100 % cotton, inexpressive, and dyed in stylish coloring material. Cynthia ‘s retail concern, meanwhile, was booming without labour intensifier. The same gross revenues came easy but took excessively much clip in happening the right merchandise to direct. As per the Quarterly summery of all the units if MIB, we can cognize the reverse of the company. As coming to the point of the strength there are certain point that we can detect. MIB was started as a little graduated table concern with one adult male squad. It has been started as a retailed fabric shop and a became a client focused concern at all degrees supplying different types of apparels by the terminal of 2001. I would wish to categorise of the strengths and failings of the company based on below five precedences.Vision:Even though Cynthia started the company on her ain. Her chief inspiration had begun from when she was graduated from Sonoma State University. As she stated it was non plan to turn the company into a big graduated table industry. I think her vision was hapless. She stated that she learnt everything from telling, advertisement, advancing and covering with hard currency flow when she joined adult females ‘s book shop called Rising Women ‘s Books. It was merely the experience she gained from a book stored that enabled her to get down her ain concern. In 1980 she said there were really limited picks for the big adult females dressi ng. MIB offered a full line of vesture and accoutrements by the late 1990 ‘s.Cynthia knew from her ain experience that big adult females would love the insouciant manner, voguish colorss and blandishing tantrum. Womans of all sizes and forms bought these apparels but it was clearly the large adult females who benefited. As declared Cynthia was the lone one behind the foundation of her concern. She was unsure of her end and tried to implement her thoughts merely with a short term program.2. Strategic planning:Cynthia started her concern with an initial sum of $ 4,500, but at this clip she did n't see herself as an enterpriser. As per her thoughts Making It Worth was an chance to unite her personal ends with the political beliefs. She stated that if equal vesture would lend to better self esteem it would so be worthy by giving a spell. Cynthia had no experience in set uping recognition. So, she started the concern merely with the sum what she had and with one other spouse Janet. She merely realised subsequently, that it would go a great beginning of income or net income as the competition was non much. Her programs were merely limited to her accomplishments and conceptually she was still lacked with indispensable accomplishments. She felt that turning a concern would necessitate different accomplishment set than get downing one. Planning was non perfect and she merely acted as per that state of affairs. Even though, the company has a good client focused service, with initial degrees of net incomes, it has seen a sudden autumn in their retail gross revenues. This can be because of improper planning of their work flows.3. Information thought ( accomplishments ) :As the concern was started merely by Cynthia, her accomplishment set was limited. She utilised all her accomplishments in taking the company from inexpensive frills to MIB but she stated that her accomplishment put entirely was non sufficient for MIB ‘s growing. In order to accomplish certain e nds or to take a company as big graduated table it is indispensable to hold different cognition sets, and different thoughts.As Cynthia was entirely while she started her concern she was sufficient with her accomplishment set and she established a manner for her ain concern. But, in order to develop the company and achieve the marks a company needs more skilled people in different classs of the concern development program.4. Staffing:Exhibit 6 provides a profile of distribution channels for adult females ‘s dress in the United States in 1997. Most retail merchants of big size vesture offered their goods through catalogs, and an increasing figure had set up web sites that created personal profiles for repetition clients. In 2002, there were over 2,000 makers of big size adult females ‘s vesture in the United States, and few of these lone offered vesture in supersize scope. In 2001, MIB employed five directors, a research and development squad of three members, three super visors and a squad of 10 workers. MIB is a really labour -intensive concern and everyone works exceptionally difficult, at all degrees. But as the gross revenues were falling down Cynthia started believing of taking more appropriate people for her concern. She thought that by implementing the new thoughts, the company would see some better alterations. Cynthia believed she needed â€Å" an experient direction squad to assist pull off the hazard that ‘s needed to acquire to the following degree. † It is really of import to any company to put right people at right degrees. This makes the company more progressive and helps to accomplish the marks. As we know when the selling programs does non work out, it proves to be more expensive and dejecting. Cynthia knew that, even with her 20 old ages of experience, she still lacked indispensable accomplishments.5. Future waies:Every Company has its future waies, like how it will be positioned in the market, what would be the end an d purpose of the company. MIB besides had its long term conventional program in order to run into the estimated marks. Once the bead in the gross revenues resulted Cynthia decided to use new squad members to back up her positions and aid in the growing of MIB. I want to categorise the strengths and failings of the concern with three things, people, client and finance.Strengthsaˆ? High quality direction It is really of import that we take right people for the right place. The Company ‘s growing is depended on the direction team. â€Å" How good they manage the concern that manner they get the consequences † . aˆ? Relatively stable, extremely committed Work force: As per the MIB direction squad, Cynthia was really much happy with her direction squad. She described the qualities of each individual, who were every bit talented in their corresponding Fieldss. MIB is a powerful retail trade name. It has a repute for value for money, convenience and a broad scope of merchandises all in one shop. MIB has grown well over recent old ages, and has experienced planetary enlargement for illustration its purchase of the United Kingdom based retail merchant ASDA. The company has a nucleus competency affecting its usage of information engineering to back up its international logistics system. A focussed scheme is in topographic point for human resource direction and development. Peoples are cardinal to MIB ‘s concern and it invests clip and money in developing people, and retaining a developing them. aˆ? Excellent quality in work force: It is really of import that each person works for the advancement of the company. Celebration of staff ‘s accomplishments: Low director to staff ratio Unique merchandise Location of your concern Patents, know-how, trade secrets Worker ‘s alone accomplishment set Corporate civilization, company image Quality of your merchandise Access to funding Operational efficiency Location of your concern Lack of quality and client service Poor selling and gross revenues Entree to resources Undifferentiated merchandises or servicesFailingsSince MIB sell merchandises across many sectors ( such as vesture, nutrient, or stationary ) , it may non hold the flexibleness of some of its more focussed rivals. Training on processs non accomplishments Absence from work Nerve-racking conditions Communicationss scheme Team Leaderships and Managers excessively stretchedOPPORTUNITIES THREATSaˆ? Finding a money strategian For any new investing aˆ? Improve choice techniques aˆ? Improve occupation flexiblenesss aˆ? Lack of staff in residential attention aˆ? Staff morale aˆ? Retention of societal workers aˆ? Stress for staff and Foster carers aˆ? Perception of occupation satisfaction deteriorating aˆ? Quality of societal work appliers cut downing aˆ? Keeping a qualified work force aˆ? Gender instability aˆ? Single position Opportunities and menaces are external value making ( or destructing ) factors a company can non command but emerge from either the competitory kineticss of the industry or market or from demographic, economic, political, proficient, societal, legal, or cultural factors. AnA opportunityA in the SWOT theoretical account could be for illustration: A new emerging or developing market ( niche merchandise, topographic point – new state, less competition ) Amalgamation, joint venture, or strategic confederation Market tendencies New engineerings Social alterations ( for illustration demographics ) New competition in the market, perchance with new merchandises or services Monetary value wars Economic conditions Political alterations Competitor oligopoly or monopoly Tax Handiness of resources.To take over, merge with, or organize strategic confederations with other planetary retail merchants, concentrating on specific markets such as Europe or the Greater China Region. The shops are presently merely trade in a comparatively little figure of states. Therefore there are enormous chances for future concern in spread outing consumer markets, such as China and India. New locations and shop types offer MIB chances to work market development. They diversified from big ace Centres, to local and mall-based sites. Opportunities exist for MIB to go on with its current scheme of big, ace Centres. Bing figure one means that you are the mark of competition, locally and globally. Bing a planetary retail merchant means that you are exposed to political jobs in theA states that you operate in. The cost of bring forthing many consumer merchandises tends to hold fallen because of lower fabrication costs. Manufacturing cost have fallen due to outsourcing to low-priced parts of the World. This has lead to monetary value competition, ensuing in monetary value deflation in some scopes. Intense monetary value competition is a menace.Undertaking 3As per the analysis from, there are certain things to be considered in order MIB achieve its marks. If we check the company ‘s retail net income it is apparent that there was a sudden autumn of gross revenues. From coevals to coevals gustatory sensations of clients would alter. Companies should internally upgrade their squad and engineerings in order to vie every bit with other administrations. I think that MIB was been a Owner Manager concern which could merely accommodate few betterments. In order to decide a company from retail shop to independent good honored administration we need certain things like Human Resources, Technology, Budget and Customers good will. I would wish to explicate each of the undermentioned briefly:Human resources:Right from the Cheap frills to MIB, Cynthia was the lone individual who took attention of the concern. Cynthia ‘s accomplishments and cognition helped her to set up the thought of MIB but they were non adequate to be an profitable company. In order to set up the company as big graduated table few things would turn out indispensable. Directors, Supervisors and Staff will turn out to be the of import portion of any administration. Giving chance to more skilled people at different degrees will assist the company grow. A determination devising squad would be necessary for the company in order to obtain a fast gait profitable gross revenues.Technology:When MIB was there were really few makers of supersize vesture and the per centum of purchasers were besides less in entire. As the coevalss move on engineering is upgrading a batch go forthing people more proficient and more accurate about their sentiments. I t is indispensable for any company like MIB to move consequently. Introducing different ways of advertisement like go forthing door to door catalogs, get offing and keeping information on web site helps the company to turn large.Budget:MIB was started as a really little company with really less budget. When Cynthia got an thought of widening a company she was non cognizant of the fiscal fortunes that she needs to face. In order to use new people in the company and to upgrade the engineering it is indispensable that one should raise more capital investing.

Nicholas Sparks

The book Dear John by Nicholas Sparks is about a man named John Tyree. He is 23 years old and in the Army. John's father has Asberger's syndrome and has a life passion of collecting coins. While he is home on leave he meets a girl named Savannah. Savannahis 21 years old and is a college student at the University of North Carolina. She is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. John and Savannah at Wilmington on the beach. Savannah was hanging out with some friends who also volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Savannah's purse falls into the ocean and John dives in to save it.After John saves her purse they start talking and become friends. They start hanging out and eventually go out on a date. The relationship grows very fast since John has to return to Germany in a week. Savannah and John get to know each other and the two of them fall in love. They promise to wait for each other since John has one year of service in the Army left before being honorably discharged. September 11 happen s and John deciding to be a hero re-enlists for the Army. Savannah understands his motivation of heroism but sadly hurt, she continues to wait for John to be honorably discharged.While John is in the Army and stationed in Germany Savannah and John write letters to each other constantly. Every letter declaring their love for each other. Eventually John notices that their letters come less often and savannah becomes less intimate. Soon he gets the letter he has been dreading. The letter telling him that Savannah has fallen for someone else. John does not respond to Savannah's last letter but instead burns all of the letters from her that he had saved. He decides to put all his efforts into being a good soldier.John re-enlists for the Army again and stays away from his home for 3 more years. John's father gets sick and John goes home to see him. He tells his dad how much he means and how much John loves him. His father gets out of the hospital and goes home. John goes back to Germany f or a bit more time. Then his father dies. He goes home for his father's funeral and decides to look Savannah up. He finds out she got married to her long time friend, Tim after he was stricken with melanoma. John and Savannah become friends again while Tim is in the hospital. John figures out his true feelings for Savannah.He decides he wants her to be happy and that meant not breaking up her marriage. He donates money anonymously for treatment to save Tim's life. The book The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks is about a girl named Ronnie Miller. Ronnie is seventeen years old, a vegetarian, and an animal lover. who is sent by her mother to spend the summer after graduation with her ten-year-old brother, Jonah, visiting her father, Steve. Her father is a former Julliard professor. He divorced Ronnie's mother, Kim, three years earlier. He left New York City for his childhood home, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.Ever since he divorced her mom and moved away Ronnie has refused to talk to him or to play the piano, which was their shared passion and becomes a rebellious clubber. Jonah immediately bonds with Steve over a stained glass window that Steve has been recreating for the local church after the original burned down in a mysterious arson. Ronnie is hostile towards Steve. Ronnie asks Steve to Board up his Piano. Steve boards up his beloved piano and instead pursues his search for God's presence. He also begins writing a piano composition using a piano owned by the church. Eventually she begins to soften towards him.Steve shows Ronnie a Loggerhead Sea Turtle nest that Jonah found near their home. Ronnie vows to protect the endangered creatures. While watching over the turtle nest she meets an aquarium volunteer named Will. They soon fall in love and spend several beautiful weeks together. Will's mother and his ex-girlfriend attempt to drive Will and Ronnie apart. Will's best friend and beach volleyball partner, Scott is annoyed that Will is not practicing for the ir upcoming tournament. Marcus continues antagonizing Ronnie and blackmails Will with his knowledge of the secret that Scott was responsible for the church arson.Will and Ronnie also worry about the end of summer. At the end of summer Will is leaving for Vanderbilt University and Ronnie has a shoplifting trial. While dancing at Will's sister's wedding, Ronnie and Will begin to wander away to Will's boat for privacy. They are followed by Marcus. Marcus instigates Will into a fight which wrecks the wedding reception. Worried that the rich and powerful family will press charges, Marcus decides to raise money to leave town by putting on the most dangerous fire-juggling act the next day, the same day as Will's volleyball tournament.The act begins amazingly but Blaze misses a catch and her shirt catches fire. Her screams and the flames attract the attention of the volleyball tournament crowd, including Ronnie and Will. As they drive Blaze to the hospital, Marcus and his crew run away. Wil l goes to Bower's Point to seek revenge for Blaze and finds Marcus, Teddy, and Lance around a fire drinking beers. He fights with the three of them and right in the middle of beating up Marcus Ronnie stops Will, telling him Marcus isn't worth ruining his life over.Afterward, Scott accuses Will of ruining his life and Will walks out, telling Scott he needs to reveal the truth behind what he has done. Ronnie takes Steve to see them install the stained-glass window in the church when construction resumed because the Blakelees decide to anonymously fund the rebuilding of the church. Following Steve's funeral, Ronnie moves back to New York, auditions for Julliard. Then Will comes back and at moment they kiss. The story is about a guy name logan who finds a photo of a woman while serving a tour in iraq. This picture finds hime good luck so when he gets back home he decides to find her. ll he goes by is the name on the back that says â€Å"keep safe! E† The picture shows the girl wi th two other guys in a fair with a huge ferris wheel behind it. He sets forth trying to find this mystery woman. He trys to look her up in phone books and does research and narrows it down to North Carolina where he finally finds the woman. He travels with his dog Zeus ( i think german shepard) and like a bum he travels while traveling he runs into a cop named Keith who he later finds out is Elizabeth ( the girl hes been looking for's ex husband).Logan teaches Keith a lesson by slashing the police mans tires and I think trashing his camera which Logan caught Keith taking pictures of college co eds nearby at a party house. When Keith goes to talk to the teenagers or whatever logan exchanges a few words with Keith and wanders off and Keith senses that something wrong with this guy. Logan gives a fake name Thibault (actually his last name) to the Keith when he asks for his name so in the story Keith knows logan as Thibault. Keith is a police officer and his dad is like the chief sherri f in town.Logan finally finds where she works at a dog kennel and applies there for a job. At first they think hes kinda weird traveling for so long from far away just to get a fresh start and wants a job here but they soon find him loving and elizabeth soon falls in love with him. She has a son named Ben whos like a genius he must be like 8 or 9 years old and likes to play chess alot! Zeus loves to play with Ben and soon they're grow trust in Logan. Logan. Oh and elizabeths Nana works like day and night in the kennel too. Nana is always right and has a keen aura that she can sense people like if they're lying or nice and stuff like that.Soon Logan gets into their life and roads cross where Keith finds out this weirdo is dating his ex wife whom he still has feelings for or wants to bang.. lol. ( in the book he talks about how her body looks good and he would want a friend with benefit thing or something) and Keith finds the dirt on Logan and tells elizabeth about the photo he has of her and how hes hunted her down like some werido stalker. Elizabeth freaks out and tells Logan to get out of her life. Logan however had showed and given the photo to Ben a few chapters before this happend. He just tells ben to keep it and not tell anyone.Oh ben has this secret get away tree house he loves by the lake and goes there to think and play and stuff. Oh Keith is a fake name that Keith Clayton have given to Logan cause he thought he was shady and lied to him. Keith is Bens biological father and was never close to Ben because ben was smart and liked chess while keith always wanted a kid to play catch and football with, so whenever Ben would go to Keiths like every other weekend he would dread it and hate it and just read a book during the time he was there, keith would make him clean the house and stupid stuff like that.After when Elizabeth wants Logan out her life, Keith tries to swoop in and have a relationship with her and she refuses then Keith says that he'll try to g et full custody over ben if she doesn't date him. This only happens for a chapter then the last chapter Ben is missing and they know hes in the tree house its stormy and the tree house is poorly built and dangerous. In the end Keith dies drowning trying to save Ben. Logan and Elizabeth, Ben and Zeus live together happy in the end. I hope this helps and good luck on your test!Okay so I read this book like a couple months back but have it with me and I will try to make some highlights for you:The story is about a guy name logan who finds a photo of a woman while serving a tour in iraq. This picture finds hime good luck so when he gets back home he decides to find her. all he goes by is the name on the back that says â€Å"keep safe! E† The picture shows the girl with two other guys in a fair with a huge ferris wheel behind it. He sets forth trying to find this mystery woman. He trys to look her up in phone books and does research and narrows it down to North Carolina where he f inally finds the woman.He travels with his dog Zeus ( i think german shepard) and like a bum he travels while traveling he runs into a cop named Keith who he later finds out is Elizabeth ( the girl hes been looking for's ex husband). Logan teaches Keith a lesson by slashing the police mans tires and I think trashing his camera which Logan caught Keith taking pictures of college co eds nearby at a party house. When Keith goes to talk to the teenagers or whatever logan exchanges a few words with Keith and wanders off and Keith senses that something wrong with this guy.Logan gives a fake name Thibault (actually his last name) to the Keith when he asks for his name so in the story Keith knows logan as Thibault. Keith is a police officer and his dad is like the chief sherrif in town. Logan finally finds where she works at a dog kennel and applies there for a job. At first they think hes kinda weird traveling for so long from far away just to get a fresh start and wants a job here but the y soon find him loving and elizabeth soon falls in love with him.She has a son named Ben whos like a genius he must be like 8 or 9 years old and likes to play chess alot! Zeus loves to play with Ben and soon they're grow trust in Logan. Logan. Oh and elizabeths Nana works like day and night in the kennel too. Nana is always right and has a keen aura that she can sense people like if they're lying or nice and stuff like that. Soon Logan gets into their life and roads cross where Keith finds out this weirdo is dating his ex wife whom he still has feelings for or wants to bang.. lol. in the book he talks about how her body looks good and he would want a friend with benefit thing or something) and Keith finds the dirt on Logan and tells elizabeth about the photo he has of her and how hes hunted her down like some werido stalker. Elizabeth freaks out and tells Logan to get out of her life. Logan however had showed and given the photo to Ben a few chapters before this happend. He just tel ls ben to keep it and not tell anyone. Oh ben has this secret get away tree house he loves by the lake and goes there to think and play and stuff.Oh Keith is a fake name that Keith Clayton have given to Logan cause he thought he was shady and lied to him. Keith is Bens biological father and was never close to Ben because ben was smart and liked chess while keith always wanted a kid to play catch and football with, so whenever Ben would go to Keiths like every other weekend he would dread it and hate it and just read a book during the time he was there, keith would make him clean the house and stupid stuff like that. After when Elizabeth wants Logan out her life, Keith ries to swoop in and have a relationship with her and she refuses then Keith says that he'll try to get full custody over ben if she doesn't date him. This only happens for a chapter then the last chapter Ben is missing and they know hes in the tree house its stormy and the tree house is poorly built and dangerous. In the end Keith dies drowning trying to save Ben. Logan and Elizabeth, Ben and Zeus live together happy in the end. I hope this helps and good luck on your test! | |

Important Element in the Story Essay

In the two short stories, â€Å"Little Things† by Carver and â€Å"The End of Something† by Hemingway, both authors make the title significant to the story’s message. The title â€Å"Little Things† is somewhat ironic in that the word ‘little’ could refer to the baby or could in fact be calling their argument petty, even though the child that they are fighting over is a major issue. This irony is significant to the story because even though the parents appear passionate about their infant, the argument clearly lies deeper. The title â€Å"The End of Something† could also refer to a number of things. In this story many things are coming to an end. The end of the mill and the town at Horton’s Bay, the end of Nick and Marjorie’s relationship, the end of their fishing trips and the end of their day. Both stories are about the end of relationships however, in â€Å"Little Things† the breakup is angry and violent whereas in â€Å"The End of Something† the breakup is calm and brief. The story â€Å"Little Things† is about the violent breakup of two parents. It is implied that they are married but Carver does not explicitly state this. The opening paragraph describes the weather and the time of day, which reflects the mood of the piece, the darkness of the evening mirroring the dark mood inside the house, â€Å"it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too. † This shows that although the mood was dark, it was not completely pitch black outside implying that there may still be a slight glimmer of hope for the young couple that is soon introduced. As the fight and the emotions become more reckless and brutal the light begins to fade, showing that all hope is lost. The characters in the story are not named. This gives their predicament a deeper sense of urgency and immediacy. This is used to great effect as when we first meet the man and women, the absence of names throws us directly into the middle of their quarrel. In this piece there is no need to build up the characters with a descriptive foreplay as it is not important to the story, making it more urgent. However in â€Å"The End of Something† we feel more sympathy for the characters as we have learned about them in more detail. From the line â€Å"he was in the bedroom pushing clothes into a suitcase when she came through the door,† we can deduce from the subtext that these people are in some kind of long-term relationship, and the second line of the same paragraph draws attention to the fact that they are having a heated argument. It is extremely common that in short stories a lot of information is insinuated rather than being clearly stated and so the reader must draw a meaning from the subtext. The woman is the first to speak. Carver does not use speech marks at all during the story in order to draw more immediacy to the article. The first line of speech â€Å"I’m glad you’re leaving! I’m glad you’re leaving! Do you hear? † shows that although the woman appears to be angry at her partner and glad that he is moving out it is easily noted that she in fact feels exactly the opposite. This is illustrated by the repetition of the line â€Å"I’m glad you’re leaving† showing that she is trying to reassure herself that she doesn’t need him. This shows irony. The woman continues to barrage the man with slurs, â€Å"son of a bitch†, obviously in an attempt to provoke his attention and convince him to stay. When she states â€Å"you can’t even look me in the face can you? † it is blatantly obvious that the man has had some kind of affair. The woman fails in catching the man’s attention and therefore when she spies the baby’s picture on the bed she takes it, out of spite. The man follows her; turning off the bedroom light as he leaves symbolising the end of their relationship, â€Å"looked around the bedroom before turning off the light. † The baby is also not named showing that although it is the child that they are fighting over, the battle about more and the baby is merely a pawn in their game of spite or revenge. The man states â€Å"I want the baby. † This immediately provokes maternal instincts from the mother who rushes to keep her child. The infant is continuously referred to as ‘the baby’ or ‘this baby’ showing that their child is solely an object that the couple are focusing their anger on. The man’s request for the baby is not because he necessarily wants the child from love but more because he sees it as a prize that he can win over the woman. Gradually their battle becomes more physical and violent as the man tries to take that baby from the woman, â€Å"in the scuffle they knocked down a flowerpot. † The baby senses the tension in the room and starts to cry which adds to the anxiety and desperation in the mood of the text, â€Å"the baby had begun to cry. † Throughout the rest of the story Carver intensifies the atmosphere by using urgent and effective words such as â€Å"screaming,† â€Å"red faced,† â€Å"gripped† and â€Å"hurting†. Nearing the end of the story the light is involved again, â€Å"the kitchen window gave no light,† this line exemplifies that there was no hope left for the couple and the baby. The lines become shorter to add to the fierce battle that the couple is suffering. The man and the woman both grab the child and pull it in different directions in a hope that one will triumph but we do not know the victor. The last line â€Å"in this manner the issue was decided,† leaves us pondering a number of possible out comes. The man or the woman may have succeeded in snatching the infant for themselves or they may have pulled their baby in two. If so the story appears to be a parody of the biblical story ‘The Two Women and Solomon’, in which a man offers to cut a baby in half to settle a quarrel between two woman as to who the mother of the baby is. In this story we are left with an ambiguous end. It is very common in short stories that the resolution of the story is left undecided, again leaving the reader to make their own conclusion from the clues given. The second short story â€Å"The End of Something† is also about the end of a relationship, however it is handled in a calmer and less violent manner. The first paragraph sets the scene of a calm deserted bay, once a busy lumbering town, now reduced to a citizen-free ghost town. The couple, Nick and Marjorie, are rowing through this bay in a calm fashion â€Å"they were trolling along the edge of the channel bank,† but they soon head towards â€Å"dark water† which shows that they are heading towards trouble. They are rowing soundlessly until Marjorie breaks the silence and begins to talk about the old mill on the shore, describing it as â€Å"our old ruin†; this shows that their relationship stretches back a long way. Nick answers unenthusiastically. Marjorie tries to keep up the conversation describing it as a castle, which shows that she sees ‘their’ ruin in a fairy-tale manner. However Nick is still distant which makes Marjorie have to work hard to keep their conversation alive. Marjorie appears to love everything about their fishing trips. She obviously loves Nick very much and is enjoying spending time with him, â€Å"She loved to fish. She loved to fish with Nick. † Clearly Nick is quite qualified at fishing and Marjorie tries to make him feel good by putting him in charge and asking him questions to boost his ego, â€Å"‘They’re feeding,’ Marjorie said. ‘But they won’t strike,’ Nick said. † By this Nick means that he will not strike that night. The couple carries out their actions of fishing with scarce communication and we can tell that something is clearly upsetting Nick as Marjorie is trying to provoke conversation but to no avail. When Marjorie questions Nick â€Å"What’s the matter Nick? † he replies â€Å"I don’t know. † The couple set out a picnic on the beach but we can tell that Nick is merely going through the motions as he says â€Å"I don’t feel like eating† and all it takes is one line from Marjorie and he agrees. They eat silently until finally Nick breaks the tension. â€Å"There’s going to be a moon tonight,† but when Marjorie agrees Nick becomes angry as if he was waiting for anything to release the pent up emotions held inside. Marjorie tries to divert the conversation from an argument and begins to talk about the moon. As in â€Å"Little Things†, the weather and setting play a part in describing the mood of the piece. The moon could represent chastity, coldness or even the passing of time. Silence follows and they do not touch each other until Marjorie ventures to ask Nick â€Å"What’s really the matter? † Marjorie is desperately trying to make their evening enjoyable and romantic but Nick is making it extremely difficult. Nick tries to avoid the question until he starts to explain that it wasn’t fun any more and that he was mixed up inside. â€Å"I feel as though everything was gone to hell inside of me,† the use of the word ‘was’ instead of ‘is’ shows that he is confused and suffering a confidence crisis. Marjorie is evidently shocked as she barely speaks except to say â€Å"isn’t love any fun? † which is swiftly followed by an answer from Nick, â€Å"No. † Unlike in â€Å"Little Things†, there is no major battle about to be released, instead Marjorie leaves calmly, dignity intact, in the boat. Nick offers to help push the boat out, which shows that he still cares for her, but is refused. When Marjorie leaves Nick lies on the blanket for a long time until mysteriously a new character named Bill emerges from the woods. Bill is a curious character. Obviously he is related to Bill in some way and Hemingway makes his sexuality and Nick’s dubious when we read the line â€Å"Bill didn’t touch him either. † Bill appears as insensitive when he barrages Nick with questions about his extremely recent breakup, provoking Nick to lash out and tell him to leave. This story again is left at a loose end. We are left questioning the sexuality of Bill and Nick. It is implied that Nick and Bill were in a homosexual relationship together. This would explain Bill’s presence hiding in the wood and the fact that it states â€Å"Bill didn’t touch him either. † The last line shows that Bill has replaced Marjorie because Bill walks over to check the fishing rods which was previously Marjorie’s job. However, Nick appears to be insecure about his choice to be gay, as we can see from the fact that he tells Bill to go away. Bill has clearly pressured Nick into breaking up with Marjorie, as we can see from the list of questions he asks and his quick appearance from the wood. Both the short stories are about the breakup of relationships but under different circumstances. As always in a short story the reader is left thinking many things from one brief text. All short stories consist of and introduction, a main conflict, a resolution and a conclusion. In â€Å"Little Things† the conclusion was the questionable death of the child. In â€Å"The End of Something† the conclusion was the appearance of Bill and the question of Nick’s sexuality.